Breaking! Golden Eagle Chicks Found In Southern California Mountains For The 1st Time In 30 Years

Photos By National Park Service

A pair of golden eagle chicks, a fully protected species in the state of California, have been found in a nest in a remote area of Southern California.

As per the National Park Service (NPS), the last time a nest was confirmed in this remote area of Southern California was in the late 1980s.

The chicks, a 12-week-old male and female, were located several weeks ago when a consultant conducting bird surveys on private property identified the golden eagle pair and notified park biologists. NPS biologists working with biologists from the U.S. Geological Survey and Bloom Biological Inc., confirmed the nest location and activity and tagged them in early May.

Each chick received two bands; one colored and one numbered. The bands are part of the USGS Bird Banding Laboratory to help scientists monitor the status, trends and ecology of resident and migratory bird populations. Biologists also took blood from the chicks for genetic testing.

Loss of habitat for nesting and hunting has reduced their range in much of the state, according to Katy Delaney, an ecologist with the National Park Service.

Delaney is worried about these majestic raptors.

“Humans are the greatest threat to golden eagles,” Delaney said in a statement. “In the past, they were trapped and shot throughout their range, and today, they are vulnerable to habitat loss. Like their mammalian carnivore counterparts, they can die from eating poisoned prey, as well as from lead poisoning, electrocution on power lines and collisions with wind turbines.”

“We haven’t seen them in so many years, though they could have been around and staying away from people.” continued Delaney. “We just went through a huge fire and drought, and we are also not going to experience a decrease in urban development. We not only have mountain lions here, but we have golden eagles, as well.”

Although the chicks recently left the nest, their parents are not total empty nesters, yet. For the next several months, they will continue to rely on the more experienced birds until they learn to successfully hunt on their own, which may be around late fall.

These birds of prey typically feed on rabbits and squirrels, but also take a diverse array of prey species from small birds and snakes, up to mule deer fawns and coyote pups. Carrion is also an important component of their diet. In the case of this family, western gulls were the prey item of choice at the time of banding. There were seven gull wings found in the nest located in a large cave.

Interestingly, golden eagles are thought to form strong pair bonds and exhibit high mate and territory fidelity, meaning they will likely stay with the same partner and return to the same nest each breeding season. Some Southern California adult golden eagles remain on or close to their nest territory throughout the year while others move great distances several counties away. After gaining independence, young eagles generally disperse out of their parents breeding territory traveling between 20 to 1,200 miles away, but usually return when they are four to five years of age to establish their own area for nesting.

The golden eagle, one of the largest birds in North America, is a cousin of the bald eagle. Sightings are extremely rare and both are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Biologists believe the population may be declining in the United States, especially in California.

The golden eagle is one of 11 raptors, birds that hunt and feed on other animals. The most common raptor in the mountains is the western screech owl but red-tailed hawks are seen more often. Dark-colored red-tailed hawks are often mistaken for golden eagles by inexperienced observers.

According to the Chumash Indians, golden eagles had a deep historical connection to Boney Mountain but the last known confirmed nesting there occurred in the early 1800s.

You can help all animals by choosing compassion on your plate. #GoVeg